Dutch town halls demand powers to decriminalise cannabis production

Twenty-three local mayors have drawn up plans to authorise and regulate the production of cannabis in the Netherlands.

The manifesto aims to resolve a long-standing anomaly in Dutch drugs policy. Small amounts of soft drugs can be purchased by individuals in licensed coffeeshops, but the wholesale trade remains illegal and criminals run the supply chain.

Municipal politicians say the current approach is “hamfisted” and are stepping up pressure on the justice department to allow them to license legal suppliers. Some councils have even contemplated cultivating cannabis themselves.

They say the current system is unworkable, dangerous and a burden on the criminal justice system. A quarter of all urban fires in the Netherlands are estimated to be “hemp related”.

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